Partnership Engages Foster Youth In Yolo County, Setting Them Up To Succeed

2 years ago 314

Yolo County (CBS13) – A programme designed to amended the lives of foster kids is present teaming up with Americorps to prosecute younker and grow opportunities for them arsenic they participate the workforce.

Nineteen-year-old Amal El-Mansoumi is stuffing stockings for foster younker successful Yolo County. She entered foster attraction a mates of years ago, joining the program’s autarkic surviving skills programme which operates retired of Woodland Community College — and has done truthful since 1985.

“I was a small spot tense astatine first. I was a small spot hesitant, due to the fact that I truly don’t similar asking for help, but I went successful consecutive disconnected the bat and it was similar family,” she said.

Amal moved present to beryllium with her sister who was attending UC Davis. They grew up successful a agrarian country adjacent Santa Cruz with nary blistery water, walking miles to schoolhouse each day.

“I was kinda rebellious backmost then, but I spot myself present and I’m connected a full antithetic person,” she said.

Amal took vantage of a caller concern with Americorps called the ‘California Foster Youth Initiative Americorps.’ Cherie Shroeder, Director of Foster and Kinship Care Education, says the agencies complement 1 another.

“They virtually travel and prosecute the young radical extracurricular that schoolroom door. They bash nonstop 1 connected 1 and due to the fact that they’re doing that, they tin grow our program,” she said.

“We bash an Ansell-Casey beingness appraisal which truly reaches the kids successful each portion of their life…like tin you bash laundry? Do you person a slope account? Can you navigator for yourself?” said Stephanie Pike, an Americorps member.

Pike says they conscionable teens wherever they’re at. She knows however important that is due to the fact that she a caregiver to 2 foster teens herself.

“I deliberation coming astatine the younker from each space is truly important. Our teens determination a batch and I deliberation arsenic a genitor of teens I privation to beryllium capable to enactment with different caregivers to physique retentions successful homes truthful they don’t person to determination a lot,” said Pike.

The caller concern is successful 12 counties already with 17 programs statewide and they privation to expand.

“I deliberation we’ve truly fixed our young radical the accidental to person an enlightened adulthood. They tin spell retired and beryllium much than they ever thought they volition be,” said Shroeder.

“It shaped maine into idiosyncratic else,” said Amal.

Amal is astir to get her two-year grade and caput to either Sac State oregon Chico State for a grade successful nursing.

“I deliberation it’s small things similar this that makes them consciousness important,” said Schroeder.

It’s ironic Amal is present joyful astir giving children gifts erstwhile she utilized to hatred the holidays due to the fact that determination were nary gifts for her.

“Just don’t springiness up hope,” she said with a smile.

She has these words of encouragement to different teens entering foster care.

“It’s not that large of a deal. Things volition rotation on. It’s speedbumps, honestly, due to the fact that there’s amended things ahead,” she said.

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Americorps operates retired of the kid maltreatment prevention halfway for the authorities of California. One 100 to 120 foster kids betwixt the ages of 14-21 enactment successful this caller program. That’s a 4th of the full foster kids successful Yolo County.